What do Nigerians think of America?

Filmed by Kafani · Lagos

Answers What do you think of the United States? · see how other cities answered →

Asked on a Lagos street what comes to mind when they hear the United States, people answer in one word before they answer in sentences. The first two words are racism and school shooting.

Nobody is guessing at random. Each answer comes with its source and its reasoning, which is what makes the piece worth having. On racism: “Due to like social media, videos I watch on social media. They discriminate the darker skin. If anybody from another country, they normally treat you like trash, like you’re different. So I feel it’s also a red flag for their country.” On guns: “Since they allow guns in America, people misuse the opportunity and they kill people that are innocent, especially children.”

The same person then says something more complicated than either headline. Asked what else comes to mind, she says white people, and explains without apology: “Because I’m in Africa, so I’m used to seeing black people. So apart from the fact that they racist, I still admire their white skin colour.” And what she actually wants from the place: New York, thrift stores, the fashion.

The dollar comes up first for another, who is honest about the limits of what he knows. “The US dollar, it has large value compared to other countries. I don’t know why.” He works the puzzle out loud: everybody wants to go, so what have they got? Oil? Tourism? He does not land it, and does not pretend to.

Then the answer that reframes the whole question. “I would say it’s a nice place, but I don’t have any opinion yet, because Nigeria is the best for me. There’s money in Nigeria.” He would visit for exhibitions, he is an artist, three months at most, and then home.

A film student gives the most technical answer in it, on box office share and who controls the market. And Kafani signs off with her own, which she is careful to mark as hers alone.

What is in it

Jump straight to a moment.

0:00One question on the street
0:15Racism. School shooting.
0:30The dollar, and not knowing why it holds
1:03Guns, and children
1:33On admiring and criticising the same people
1:44New York, thrift stores, fashion
2:01“Everybody wants to go. I don’t know why.”
2:30“Nigeria is the best for me”
3:54Movies, box office, and who controls the market
4:31What the interviewer thinks herself

Transcript

Auto-generated by YouTube, names corrected. Where YouTube masked a word it shows as [bleeped]; that is YouTube's, not ours. Published in full so it can be read, searched and quoted. Search every transcript →

0:00This is for poidh and We Them Media. I am Kafani and today at I’ll be asking people what their opinion of America today is. I have a question for you. When you hear the US, what comes to your mind?

0:15Racism. What’s your opinion on the US? When you hear US America, what do you think of school shooting? School shooting. Your opinion on the US? What do you think about the US? The US US country right?

0:30Yes. America. Uh my opinion about US first of all is the currency the US dollar I mean it has large value compared to other countries. I don’t know

0:41why. Well due to like social media like videos I watch on social media. Uh they discriminate the darker skin like if you anybody from another country they normally treat you like trash or something like that like you’re different or something. So I feel it’s also a red flag for their for their country.

1:03Why like why why do you why is that what comes to mind? Because since they allow guns in America and it’s very like illegal, people misuse the opportunity and they kill people that are innocent, especially children.

1:18Wow. Wow. That’s actually deep. That’s such a deep dig. Um what else do you think of when you think of America? white people. Okay. What about white people?

1:33Because I’m not because I’m in I’m Africa, so I’m used to seeing black people. So apart from the fact that they racist, I still admire their white skin color.

1:44What’s your opinion in general? Aside from racism, what’s your opinion of the US in general? I’ll just say places like New York, their thrift store is attractive. So I would like to go to places like New York to like go for shopping and yeah they are fashion fashion sense.

2:01Okay. What do you like about the US aside from the currency? Outside the currency everybody wants to go to US. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s what’s going on in the US. Do you guys have what we don’t have over here in Nigeria? Everybody wants to go to US. I think it’s because of their oil. Do they have oil?

2:17I don’t know. Do they have oil in the US? I don’t know. But every everybody wants to go to US. I think it’s because of their tourist attraction. Yeah, we can also see something like that tourist attraction and the people are friendly to an extent though.

2:30I have a question for you. What is your opinion on the US? What when you hear the US, America? What do you think? Uh, it’s a nice place. I would say it’s a nice place, but I don’t have any opinion yet because Nigeria is the best for me.

2:47And Nigeria is the best place. Nigeria is best. There’s money in Nigeria. Well, well, if I want to go to the US, all I just want to go is just explore, just see how exhibitions cuz I’m based more on art. So, if I can walk just if I’m walking in just three or more months and I’m back. So, Nigeria there’s money go a

3:10Okay. Okay. Thank you so much. You’re welcome. What’s your perception of the US? What do you think about America? Generally, I don’t really have much about them. I don’t know about I don’t know about them. So, I don’t really have perception. I just think it’s a place and uh we have the top boys there. That’s gangs actually.

3:34Oh, okay. That’s okay. Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you. What is your perception of the US? What’s your opinion of the US? Um what exactly pertaining to what? Okay, maybe fashion, food, movies, politics, whatever. Like what’s your opinion? Your general opinion of G US?

3:54Well, in terms of movies, I think um they actually leading in the world. Like they have the best movies currently and they are actually the ones um how should I say it? They control the market movie currently. Yes. So um when we’re looking at statistics when you’re looking at the box office they are leading in the world currently. When we look at movies like Avengers, movies like Avatar, then there’s a new franchise um now. So we don’t know how it will do compared to the former franchise.

4:31So you’ve heard what people have to say about America today on the streets of Yabate. I personally would love to visit New York City in America someday and I think America is just a fun a fun it’s actually a fun place for the fashion girlies the um shopping giries art and you know I don’t know but aside from that I don’t really have any video of us today. Thank you Kafani out and I’ll see you in my next video. Bye.

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